CVE-2026-81690 verify-usb before 1.4.9 Symlink Directory Traversal Code Execution

High 8.7 Published 27 Aug 2026 Updated 1 Oct 2026

An attacker with physical access can execute arbitrary code by exploiting symlink handling flaws in the verify-usb library's file scanning logic.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2026-81690?

CVE-2026-81690 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Jahlives Openssl Encrypt, published on 27 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

openssl-encrypt (pip package) before 1.4.9 contains a symlink-following flaw in its verify-usb v2 added-file allowlist scan. The scan enumerated the drive with rglob(), which in CPython does not descend into symlinked directories and treats the symlink as an ordinary directory, while O_NOFOLLOW on the hash side binds only the final path component. An evil-maid attacker with physical access to the removable drive could replace a tool-tree directory with a symlink to a copy containing byte-identical files plus a planted __pycache__/*.pyc file (which CPython loads in preference to recompiling the clean .py). The planted file is never enumerated, added_files stays 0, and verify-usb reports PASSED, resulting in code execution when the victim runs the portable install. Fixed in 1.4.9 (affects both 1.4.x and 1.5.x lines).

Weakness: CWE-59

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-81690?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including openssl-encrypt. It affects 1 product.

Package	Affected	Fixed in
`openssl-encrypt` PyPI	All versions	`1.4.9`

Products include Jahlives Openssl Encrypt.

How do I fix CVE-2026-81690?

Upgrade openssl-encrypt to 1.4.9 or later.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2026-81690 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-81690 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Jahlives Openssl Encrypt vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-hw7h-wqf5-6crx, GHSA-vcf6-hg34-vx9w, PYSEC-2026-3796.